in French politics – held her in scorn for her "pure demagoguery". When he withdrew the race amid crumbling support in opinion polls, it was widely seen as a victory for the reformist Royal. Like Jospin, other party elders largely rejected Royal too, partly for her perceived willingness to modify classic Socialist principles, but also for her relatively flamboyant and charismatic campaign style, unconventional in French politics. Her personal relationship with Socialist Party leader François Hollande complicated the situation: she was his longtime domestic partner, and mother of their four children. Hollande, who had harbored ambitions of his own for the primary, acquiesced to his partner and thereafter attempted to remain officially neutral. Campaign By the end of September, Lang and Kouchner gave up their struggling bids for the nomination and each offered a modest endorsement of Royal. Strauss-Kahn, however, officially registered his candidacy on 30 September, followed by Fabius the next day. The two men presented Royal with formidable competition: Strauss-Kahn had been Minister of the Economy and Fabius was a former Prime Minister, but the relatively unknown Royal nonetheless commanded an early lead in polls. Strauss-Kahn and Fabius each had solid blocs of political support, but Royal had a much larger audience. She was a relentless campaigner, highly regarded for her personal charm, and her novel quality of sex appeal helped to bestow her with a celebrity status far beyond that of her rivals. She effectively employed the Internet, adroitly using social media outlets and popularizing her own Desirs D'avenir political website. Fortified by a host of supportive bloggers, Royal's saturated Internet presence helped her to hold popular attention and maintain momentum in the race. The candidates participated in three televised public debates, as well as three internal party debates among members only. Royal held onto a sizable lead, though it eroded steadily through the final weeks. Voting The primary vote took place among the party's 219,000 members on 16 November 2006, with over 80% of eligible voters casting ballots. Royal won by a wide margin with 108,807 votes, 60.6% of the total, while Strauss-Kahn and Fabius divided the remainder almost evenly. With this victory, Royal became the first woman candidate of a major party to stand for the Presidency of France. Aftermath Royal campaigned vigorously through the 2007 presidential election, but lost to conservative UMP candidate Nicolas Sarkozy, obtaining 46.9% of the final vote. After her defeat,